Q. What is Amazon WorkDocs?
Amazon WorkDocs is a fully managed, secure enterprise storage and sharing service with strong administrative controls and feedback capabilities that improve user productivity. Users can comment on files, send them to others for feedback, and upload new versions without having to resort to emailing multiple versions of their files as attachments. Users can take advantage of these capabilities wherever they are, using the device of their choice, including PCs, Macs, and tablets. Amazon WorkDocs offers IT administrators the option of integrating with existing corporate directories, flexible sharing policies, audit logs, and control of the location where data is stored. Customers can get started using Amazon WorkDocs with a 30-day free trial providing 200 GB of storage per user for up to 50 users.
Q. How can I get started using Amazon WorkDocs?
You can get started with Amazon WorkDocs by visiting the AWS Management Console and setting up a WorkDocs site for your organization. If you do not already have an AWS account, you will need to create one.
Q. What devices can I use to access files stored in Amazon WorkDocs?
Using a web browser, you can access your files anywhere, anytime from your laptop, desktop computer, iPad, Kindle Fire, Android tablet, or phone. You can also access Amazon WorkDocs with free applications for iPad, Kindle Fire, and Android tablets that you can download from iTunes, Amazon Appstore for Android, and Google Play. Amazon WorkDocs also offers a free desktop sync application that is available for PC and Mac.
Q. What kind of files can I store?
You can store virtually any type of file on Amazon WorkDocs.
Q. What types of files can I preview or comment on with Amazon WorkDocs?
You can preview and comment on Microsoft Office files (documents, spreadsheets, and presentations), PDFs, web pages, images, and text files directly in Amazon WorkDocs.
Q. Do I need to install the application that was used to create the original file to preview or comment on a supported file type?
No. You can preview or comment on any of the supported file types without installing the application that created the file.
Q: What is the maximum file size that can be uploaded to WorkDocs?
Using the sync client on Mac or PC, you can upload individual files up to 5TB in size. The sync client supports resumable uploads and downloads so that if a transfer is interrupted, it will resume transferring data when a connection to WorkDocs is reestablished. We recommend using the sync client to transfer large files to WorkDocs.
Q. How much data can I store?
There is no limit on the amount of data and number of documents you can store. Each individual user account on Amazon WorkDocs includes 200GB of storage capacity by default. Administrators can set storage limits for individual users and also purchase additional storage for users on a pay-as-you-go basis.
Q. How do I get my users started with Amazon WorkDocs?
Once you have set up your Amazon WorkDocs site using the AWS Management Console, you can invite users to start using Amazon WorkDocs to store and share their files and collaborate with others.
Q. Can I use Amazon WorkDocs on my mobile device?
Yes. Users can access Amazon WorkDocs using free applications for iPad, Kindle Fire, and Android tablets that you can download from iTunes, Amazon Appstore for Android, and Google Play. Users can also access Amazon WorkDocs using the web browser on any mobile device.
Q. Will I have offline access to documents in Amazon WorkDocs on my mobile device?
Users can select which documents to make available for offline viewing using our free applications for iPad, Kindle Fire, and Android tablets and can also leave comments on documents in offline mode. These comments will sync with Amazon WorkDocs the next time users open the application after the device has reconnected to the Internet.
Q. Which browsers does the Amazon WorkDocs web application work on?
The Amazon WorkDocs web application supports recent versions of Firefox, Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Safari.
Q. What is the Amazon WorkDocs desktop sync application and how does it work?
The free Amazon WorkDocs desktop sync applications are available for Windows and Mac OS X and provide a fast and easy way to access files stored in Amazon WorkDocs via a folder on your computer. Users select the folder on their computer that they wish to sync with Amazon WorkDocs. Files stored or added to the Amazon WorkDocs sync folder are automatically synced to Amazon WorkDocs and are accessible through a web browser, the Amazon WorkDocs iPad, Kindle Fire, or Android app, and on other computers where a user has configured the desktop sync application. Whenever you edit and save a document, the latest version will be automatically synced to Amazon WorkDocs when an Internet connection is available. When files are added to Amazon WorkDocs, they will automatically be synced to any computers where a user has configured the sync client.
Q. What operating system do I need to run the Amazon WorkDocs desktop sync application?
The Amazon WorkDocs desktop sync application is available for Windows 7 or later, Server 2008 or later, and Mac OS X 10.7 or later.
Q. How do I transfer files from my computer to Amazon WorkDocs?
You can either upload files through a web browser by clicking on the "Add Content" button and selecting single or multiple files or you can drag-and-drop files directly into your browser from your desktop. You can also add files to Amazon WorkDocs by moving them into the folder you have configured to sync using the Amazon WorkDocs desktop sync application.
Q. What types of files can I upload to Amazon WorkDocs?
You can upload virtually any type of file to Amazon WorkDocs. You will be able to preview Microsoft Office files (documents, spreadsheets, and presentations), PDFs, web pages, images, and text files directly within the Amazon WorkDocs web application and the Amazon WorkDocs iPad, Kindle Fire, and Android applications.
Q. When I upload a file or create a folder, who can access it?
By default, all files that you upload or folders that you create are private. Users have the option of sharing documents and folders with others.
Q. Can I track previous versions of my files?
Yes, you can upload an unlimited number of versions per file. Each version can be easily retrieved when you access Amazon WorkDocs with a web browser.
Q. How do I share a file with others?
You can share a file by clicking on "Share" and inputting an email address or username. If you are sharing with another user within your WorkDocs site, you will be able to select from a list of matching users as you begin typing. You can control whether users can share files only with others inside your organization or not. It is also possible to generate a URL to share with a contributor (via email or chat) provided they also have permission to access the site.
Q. Who can share a particular file?
The file owner can share the file with others. You can learn more about file and folder permissions in our documentation.
Q. For shared files, can I assign specific rights to what other users can do with the file?
When you share a file, you can choose whether the users you are sharing with can either download the file and provide feedback, or can only view the file. When you allow other users to provide feedback, they can provide overall comments on any file type, but can only provide comments on specific sections of a file for those file types that are supported for preview (Microsoft Office files (documents, spreadsheets, and presentations), PDFs, web pages, images, and text files). Please see the documentation for further details.
Q. Can I share folders?
Yes. You can share a folder by selecting the folder you would like to share, clicking "Share", and choosing the individuals you would like to share with.
Q. How do permissions work for shared folders?
When you create a folder and choose to share it with other users in your organization, you can choose to give them either contributor or viewer access. Permissions for the shared folder carry over to the documents within that folder, so "contributors" of the shared folder will be "contributors" for all documents within the folder. Similarly, "viewers" of the folder will be "viewers" for all documents within the folder.
Q. Can users share a file with someone outside my organization?
You can choose to allow or prevent users from sharing files with others outside your organization. If you enable this, when a file is shared with someone outside your organization, an email containing a link to the file will be sent to the recipient who will then be added as a viewer of the file.
Q. If I share a file with another user, can I revoke their access?
Yes, document owners can always revoke user access to a shared file.
Q. How does Amazon WorkDocs help me manage the feedback process?
Amazon WorkDocs allows file owners to keep track of all comments made on a file without having to manage drafts over e-mail or other applications. You can set deadlines for others to leave feedback, and Amazon WorkDocs automatically sends them e-mail notifications and reminders. If you do not want to provide feedback it is possible to decline the request, which will remove that request from your list.
Q. Do other users need third-party applications to view or provide feedback on files?
No, other users can view files and provide feedback directly within Amazon WorkDocs without needing the third-party application that was used to create the document for the file types that are supported for preview (Microsoft Office files (documents, spreadsheets, and presentations), PDFs, web pages, images, and text files).
Q. How do I view comments on files in Amazon WorkDocs?
You can see feedback that has been left on a document by clicking on the "Feedback" tab when you are accessing Amazon WorkDocs through a web browser.
Q. If I requested feedback from others on a file, can I see the status of my requests?
Yes, the “Out for Review” section on the left side pane allows you to track the files you requested feedback on and how many requests for each file are still outstanding.
Q. Can I prevent other users from downloading shared files?
Yes. You can disable the ability for others users to download a file that you have shared with them.
Q. Where does Amazon WorkDocs store my files and are they safe?
Amazon WorkDocs is a fully-managed service and files are stored using AWS’s highly durable storage infrastructure that is designed to ensure your mission-critical data is not lost. All files and comments stored in Amazon WorkDocs are encrypted at rest.
Q. How is data transmitted to Amazon WorkDocs?
All data in transit is encrypted using industry-standard SSL. Our web and mobile applications and desktop sync clients transmit files directly to Amazon WorkDocs using SSL.
Q. Does WorkDocs support multi-factor authentication?
Yes, multi-factor authentication (MFA) using a RADIUS server is available and can provide you with an additional layer of security during the authentication process. Users will log in by entering their user name and password followed by an OTP (One-Time Passcode) supplied by a hardware or a software token.
Q. Can I choose the AWS Region where my data is stored?
Yes, you choose the AWS Region where each WorkDocs site’s files are stored. Amazon WorkDocs is currently available in the US-East (Virginia), US-West (Oregon), EU (Ireland) and Asia Pacific (Sydney) AWS Regions.
Q. How do I decide which AWS Region to use for an Amazon WorkDocs site?
There are several factors to consider based on your needs including whether a specific AWS Region enables you to meet regulatory and compliance requirements. We generally recommend that you set up your Amazon WorkDocs site in the AWS Region nearest to where most of your users are located, in order to reduce data access latencies.
Q. Which credentials do users use to sign-in to Amazon WorkDocs?
Users can either use credentials that are created and stored in a directory managed by the Amazon WorkDocs service, or if you choose, you can integrate an existing on-premises Active Directory service using the Amazon WorkDocs Connect feature. If you integrate an existing on-premises Active Directory, users will sign in to Amazon WorkDocs using their existing Active Directory credentials.
Q. Do users need an AWS account to use Amazon WorkDocs?
No. An AWS account is only needed by the administrator who sets up the Amazon WorkDocs site. Users will sign in using credentials stored in a directory managed by the Amazon WorkDocs service, or if you choose to integrate with an existing on-premises Active Directory, users will sign in using those credentials.
Q. What happens if a user forgets their password to access Amazon WorkDocs?
If Amazon WorkDocs Connect is used to integrate with an existing Active Directory domain, the user would follow their organization’s existing lost password process. If the user is using credentials stored in a directory managed by the Amazon WorkDocs service, they can reset their password by clicking on the "Forgot Password" link via any Amazon WorkDocs login page.
Q. How does an administrator remove a user’s access to Amazon WorkDocs?
To remove a user’s access to a specific Amazon WorkDocs site, you can disable their account either in the directory managed by the Amazon WorkDocs service, or in an existing Active Directory that you have integrated via WorkDocs Connect. Additionally, when you deactivate a user’s account, Amazon WorkDocs administrators can transfer ownership of documents previously owned by the deactivated user to another user (e.g., their manager or central IT).
Q. Does the Amazon WorkDocs AWS Management Console have IAM support?
Yes. Please see our documentation.
Q. What is the Amazon WorkDocs administrator role?
The Amazon WorkDocs administrator role is a user with special privileges, which include the ability to manage security policies, user access, storage limits, and give other users administrator privileges. Amazon WorkDocs administrators can configure these settings from the Amazon WorkDocs settings page within the Amazon WorkDocs web application.
Q. Are Amazon WorkDocs administrative rights connected to AWS account administrative rights?
No. An Amazon WorkDocs administrator is a user who has access to the settings page within the Amazon WorkDocs web application. AWS account administrative rights apply to other AWS resources that would be accessed via the AWS Management Console (or via AWS APIs or SDKs).
Q. Can I have multiple administrators for my Amazon WorkDocs site?
Yes. You can choose to have as many administrators as you would like but must maintain at least one administrator with active status. Since administrators can set policies for security, storage, and users, we recommend only granting administrator access to a limited number of individuals as required.
Q. Can Amazon WorkDocs administrators prevent sharing of documents outside my Amazon WorkDocs site?
Yes. Amazon WorkDocs administrators can set security policies for your organization to prevent your employees from sharing documents externally.
Q. Can Amazon WorkDocs administrators set storage limits for individual users?
Yes. Amazon WorkDocs administrators can set a specific storage limit for each user in your organization. When users reach that limit, they will be unable to store additional files in Amazon WorkDocs until you choose to increase the users' limit or the users deletes files. Users are notified when they approach their storage limits. Administrators can also set an overall storage limit for their organization.
Q. Can someone outside my company be a full Amazon WorkDocs user with storage rights?
Yes. Amazon WorkDocs administrators can grant full access to users outside your company and have the option to also allow users to invite people outside your company. For example, employees at a marketing agency or law firm that frequently work with your company can be given access to use Amazon WorkDocs.
Q. Does Amazon WorkDocs provide audit logging capabilities?
Yes. Amazon WorkDocs administrators have access to reports that detail the activity of users in their organization. These reports include information such as documents viewed or downloaded and document ownership transfers.
Q. In which AWS Regions is Amazon WorkDocs available?
Amazon WorkDocs is currently available in the US-East (Virginia), US-West (Oregon), EU (Ireland) and Asia Pacific (Sydney) AWS Regions. You can always find out which services are available in each region by visiting the Products and Services by Region page.
Q. How do I get support for Amazon WorkDocs?
The AWS account holder can get help from AWS Support, and you can also post in the Amazon WorkDocs Forum.
Q. Is there a free trial for Amazon WorkDocs?
Yes. You can sign up 50 users at no charge for the first 30 days after you sign up for Amazon WorkDocs. After this period ends, you will be charged for all active users unless you deactivate them or deregister your Amazon WorkDocs account.
Q. How much does Amazon WorkDocs cost?
Please see our pricing page for the latest information.
Q. How will my business be charged for use of Amazon WorkDocs?
There are no upfront fees or commitments to begin using Amazon WorkDocs. At the end of the month, you will be billed for that month's usage. You can view estimated charges for the current billing period by logging into the AWS Management Console and clicking on "Account Activity." You can get started with a free trial of Amazon WorkDocs and sign up 50 users at no charge for the first 30 days.
You will be charged for the following types of Amazon WorkDocs usage:
Number of user accounts per month: the number of users billed in a month is based on the average numbers of active user accounts throughout the month. For every active user your business will be charged a monthly subscription fee. If a user account is deactivated during the month, the monthly subscription fee for that account will be prorated based on the number of active days.
Additional storage: your business receives 200GB of storage capacity for each active user account. Administrators can allocate this storage across users by setting individual storage limits in the WorkDocs administrator dashboard. Your business will be charged once a user’s amount of storage utilized exceeds 200GB for that user’s account. Additional storage is charged on a pay-as-you-go basis.
Q. Can I use Amazon WorkDocs with Amazon WorkSpaces?
Yes, you can install the Amazon WorkDocs sync client in an Amazon WorkSpace to continuously, automatically, and securely back up documents from the WorkSpace to Amazon WorkDocs. You can also use Amazon WorkDocs's desktop application on a Mac or PC to sync documents to or from your WorkSpace so that you can always have access to your data regardless of the desktop computer you are using.
Q. How are Amazon WorkSpaces customers billed for their usage of Amazon WorkDocs?
Each Amazon WorkSpaces user can sync up to a maximum of 50 GB of data with Amazon WorkDocs. There is no additional Amazon WorkDocs cost for syncing this data above the monthly charge for the Amazon WorkSpace.
Q. What if I want more than the 50GB of included Amazon WorkDocs storage for my Amazon WorkSpaces users?
Amazon WorkSpaces users can be upgraded to the full 200GB of storage for a reduced monthly subscription fee. See the WorkDocs pricing page for full details.
Q. Do I need to set-up a directory to use Amazon WorkDocs?
Each user you invite to your Amazon WorkDocs site needs to exist in a directory, but you do not have to provision a directory yourself. You can have the Amazon WorkDocs service create and manage a directory for you and have users in that directory created when you invite them to your Amazon WorkDocs site. Alternatively, you can integrate your existing Active Directory with Amazon WorkDocs using Amazon WorkDocs Connect so that they can continue to use their existing Active Directory credentials.
Q. How can I integrate with an existing Active Directory?
You can integrate with an existing Active Directory using the Amazon WorkDocs Connect feature. To enable integration you need to ensure that your domain is reachable via an Amazon Virtual Private Cloud VPC (this could mean that Active Directory domain controllers for your domain are running on Amazon EC2 instances, or that they are reachable via a VPN connection and are located in your on-premises network). You provide configuration information to the Amazon WorkDocs service such as DNS server IP addresses and domain names. Once you've configured this integration, when you log in to Amazon WorkDocs as an administrator, you will be able to choose which users you would like to enable for your Amazon WorkDocs site from a list of users in your existing domain, and users will be able to log in to Amazon WorkDocs using their existing Active Directory credentials.
Q. For what phones do you provide applications?
There are applications available for Fire phones, iPhones, and Android phones, enabling you to access your data wherever you can access the internet.
